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Frederick II and his Castles: the Castle of Barletta

Now, it’s the turn of the castle of Barletta, another of the
famous forts of Frederick II that
were part of castle network, which
we talked about in the previous post.
For this visit I had the good company and guide of a friend from
Barletta, a guy who transmitted to me the love for his town while he was
accompanying me to the discovery of the historic centre. Seeing a place through the eyes of those who
live it and appreciate it, in my opinion, is the best way to discover it.

Back to the castle, nowadays it's the focal point of the life of Barletta,
especially during summer. Just think of
that fact that it faces the sea and during the hot season a walk along the
promenade is a

rule.

Leaving back the streets of the historical
centre and overstepping the bell tower of the Cathedral, the vision of the
fortress opens in front of you, solid and impressive, one of those buildings
that just looking at them make you feel protected from everything. As a buttress
to this power , there is the delicacy of the park that surrounds it. The
green of the plants and the blinding sun of July highlight the clear stone which
the castle is made of . A beautiful postcard that gives you back the charge, which inevitably the heat takes a bit
away.

But, what we see nowadays it's not , unlike
Castel del Monte, the same castle that hosted the Puer Apuliae, but the result of several works happened along the
years to adapt the structure to the will and the need of the different lords
who governed this area and to technological developments, especially in
military field. Actually, its travel toward its present
shape crossed centuries, from the 11th
to the 18th.

Started by the Normans, who found hospitality in this castle during their pilgrims
towards the Sanctuary of Archangel Michael in Monte Sant'Angelo, it gained
importance thank to Frederic II, starting from 1194. If the Normans thought of
a defensive building, our Frederick transformed it in a real realm for his court and, since 1228, periodically, stopped in
Barletta.

Successively, with the Angevin dominion,
then the one of the Aragons and finally the one Charles V of Hapsburg , the
castle continued to change its aspect, putting off the old clothes to wear the
new ones, adapting itself to his residents. So, from Medieval stronghold with
high sighting towers it became a lower and dumpy fortress with its typical
angular bastions, expressly thought to protect in the best way the central part
of the building from cannon shots, and a moat where sea water flew, isolating and
defending the castle perfectly.

After a due historical preamble, it's time
to enter. As you cross the bridge towards the enter portal, the castle welcomes
you, it seems to invite you to enter. Together with it, the keeper makes everything to let your hair down, explaining in details the
way to visit the castle, paying attention to
the details that, otherwise, would be unnoticed. This is the case of the
Angevin tower: the visit starts from
the dungeons; once downstairs, as the keeper said to us, you mustn't
follow immediately the itinerary, but
you must go left. Here we are in the
part of the castle where the Angious made built a water tank - where there still
is some water - where previously there was a round Norman tower, of which you see the ruins.

Now
you can follow the route indicated at
the entry of the dungeons. This area was exclusively for military use: on each
wall, which has a thickness that goes from 7 to 12 meters, there are embrasures where cannons were placed. But what leaves me surprised the most were
the blockhouses,
some big rooms with a large dome with a hole in the centre. Their function was
to delete the noise and the smoke produced by the explosion of a cannon shot.
Just this is enough for me to be wowed. But it's walking across the room that
you get surprised like a child: the more
you get closer to the centre, under the hole, the more the echo gets present
and near. It seemed to speak at the
microphone!

Going back on the surface, it's time go up
on the upper floors. From the inner court, a staircase brings you to the towers, from where you can see the sea
and the harbour on one side, and Barletta, with the bell tower of the Cathedral
above the houses of the historical centre on the other.

Up there you feel free: the smell of the
sea, the wind that blows your hair leaving on it a trace
of salt, make you forget everything. There's just you, here and now. The
rest can wait... Until you remember that there's the rest of the castle to be
visited and so, down again in the court.

At the moment, the castle hosts the Library, the Civic Museum, serves as
conference room and hosts some expositions.
In this period, there's a photographic exposition about the rescue of Serbian
soldiers put in action by the Italian Navy during the First World War. They're
moving images, that put in evidence the horror of the war, that close up your
throat in a mix of compassion and disapproval for human stupidity, but they're
also the prove of the solidarity that marks Italian Military and you feel proud
to be protected by people of this sort.
On the text that explains the fact, you read that this operation
"represents the very first Italian humanitarian mission, managed by
soldiers with the duty of stabilising and bringing peace and that put the basis
for the friendship between Italy and Serbia".

And speaking of the First World War, there's an anecdote
that proves the great resistance of the castle of Barletta. Then, the Austrians took supplies right
here. Italy wasn't at war yet. After the restock and being left, the
communication of Italy coming into war arrived. Without losing time, the
Austrians attacked the castle with some cannon shots, but it held and was
thrown clear. Apparently, it performed and performs its duty even after
centuries.

The exposition occupies just a room. We
must see the Museum. The highlight is the bust
of Frederick II, which dates back the 13th century, that seems to be one of
the few portraits of the emperor, besides those on coins. Legend says that it
was found in a wood and was used as target to
practise with rifles and this
would be the reason why it is a bit
"bulletted".

It may be "bulletted", but anyway
it keeps that fierceness and that frown as nobody else.

When I went out the castle, I felt like
I was back from a time travel. It has
been like go across different historical periods in a couple of hours, from
Middle Age to nowadays. Then, if I think that in that place that I visited as a
tourist attraction people in past lived their days, everything gains a different
aspect, more real, more authentic. It almost seems that stones tell you a story, their story.

And also this castle has made its mark,
different from that one of Castel del Monte, as it should be. It's a further
demonstration that each of these castles has its own "personality".

The price of the visit is 3 Euros. With the
same ticket, it's possible to visit the famous
tavern of the challenge, which I'll talk about in another post.